Stands are one of those features where the ends really do justify the means. Some made us wish the manual writers would take a cue from Lego—just make the *@#$! things easy enough for a 7 year old to understand. That aside, SawStop set itself aside brilliantly, taking just 10 minutes to setup. All we had to do was install the wheels and two handles. Even the packaging is designed to make the process easier and the instructions were super-easy to understand. Makita was nearly as simple only requiring us to install the handle and bolt the saw to the stand.

Bigger tables offer more potential for additional extensions. For example, if you’re planning to process a massive piece of wood but you cannot cut it in smaller pieces; a table extension will definitely come in handy. There are a lot of commercial add-ons you can choose from, but you can also construct one yourself if you’re experienced enough. Experimenting with these things never gets old or boring, but keep safety in mind at all times. Make sure it’s completely safe to use the said extension and pay special attention to the amount of vibrations and the overall integrity of the table after you’ve installed the add-on.
As you can tell, this particular type is in the middle between portable and contractor. Some people can finish their projects with bench top saws, but the ones who can’t usually opt for hybrid saws because they are cheaper than contractor ones. One cannot say they are cheap per se, but it’s a significantly smaller investment in comparison to contractor models.
1. Is it possible that the SkilSaw SPT99-11 and SPT99-12 have the ability to accept up to a 13/16″ dado set instead of just the 1/2″ max your review states? I have seen the larger spec stated elsewhere. If not, why? Is the arbor just not long enough? Or is it a zero clearance plate problem? I can’t imagine having to do two passes to complete a 3/4″ dado. The 1/2″ max seems a weird anomaly as compared to all other saws in the class.
Blade guards are an important safety device and should never be removed from the saw. You want to find one that rises up parallel to the table so it is always on top of the material you are working with. The purpose of this blade guard is to protect you from the spinning blade. While some woodworkers find them annoying, the safety they provide is well worth the inconvenience.
Deciding on what portable saw to get is not an easy task. There is so much out there on the market and such a wide combination of options. You can use our top 5 picks to get a taste of what’s out there and maybe find your perfect portable power saw right off the bat. However, we feel that you should also be equipped with the knowledge to go out and make your own decisions on portable table saws. We are going to run through the most important factors and features to consider before you make your purchase. These are factors that have a direct impact on performance.
Other than that, this is a great portable saw. It is lightweight and easily moved from location to location. It also has a pro guarding system that basically allows quick and easy adjustments. It also has a metal roll cage to help with durability. Furthermore, it has built in storage which is always welcome. That is a lot of features at this price point!
Brad – Won’t be anytime soon. I’d offer a few thoughts though on this topic. First off, for this type of testing it’s just not feasible for us to do any long term testing that would be required to evaluate your concern. You’re right, most jobsite table saws have less than perfect fence systems. The rack-and-pinion style that DEWALT, Hitachi and some others use are far more accurate over the long haul than the “clamp” style. Lastly, for lots of guys they are transitioning to track saws for work that requires a really precise cuts or they cut critical pieces in the shop. In a perfect world we’d get shop precision out of jobsite saws, but the reality is due to weight limits its unlikely. Thanks for the feedback.
At first glance, the Bosch 10-Inch Worksite Table Saw may seem to be nothing exceptional. However, it's powered by the best motor in its class, and it does everything well. True, the motor is a 15 amp unit like the others on our list, but it produces 4 HP where the others produce only 1.5 to 2 HP. This is a noticeable step up in a vital area! The wheeled frame is extremely helpful for moving around your shop or garage, but keep in mind that those tires aren’t heavy-duty; you have to be careful with them on a worksite littered with nails and screws.
In a video review at Tools of the Trade, finish carpenter Jesse Wright finds few negatives and a lot of positives for the DWE7491RS. Wright says this table saw is larger than he normally likes for a portable saw, but its size allows it to tackle tasks that would otherwise be out of reach of a jobsite saw and also makes it very solid and stable. The DWE7491RS also earns a perfect five-star rating from Popular Mechanics, which says it cuts well, is very stable, and has plenty of handy features. The reviewer's only complaint is that the saw is very loud.
Deciding on what portable saw to get is not an easy task. There is so much out there on the market and such a wide combination of options. You can use our top 5 picks to get a taste of what’s out there and maybe find your perfect portable power saw right off the bat. However, we feel that you should also be equipped with the knowledge to go out and make your own decisions on portable table saws. We are going to run through the most important factors and features to consider before you make your purchase. These are factors that have a direct impact on performance.

All these saws have attached, collapsible stands with wheels that allow you to roll them around when they’re folded up. A few, like the DeWalt, Rockwell and Ryobi, can’t be wheeled around after they’re set up. But the biggest difference between stands is in how easy it is to set them up. The Ridgid and Bosch have nearly identical stands that work great and require you to only flip or depress one lever to unlock the stand. These are our favorites. The DeWalt stand is the sturdiest of the bunch and very intuitive. It sets up like a card table with legs that fold out and snap into place. The remaining candidates for best table saw have several different stand systems that aren’t quite as easy to set up but that work fine once you get the hang of them.

Even though the trunnion mechanism from Powermatic has been known to be the best there is, further refinements have been made to it in order to make it even better. The conically shaped worm gear drive with better surface area, the high end bearings, but also the cast iron, box style construction combine with the solid and smooth feel of the height and tilt adjustments. Thanks to the adjustable backlash, it’s very easy for users to adjust the mechanism back to the factory fresh feel and clearances.
The marketplace today is filled with a variety of options at every price range. Once, you have figured out your price range and needs; you should be able to find a choice among our top 5 picks. You can also use our buying guide to inform that choice or to inform your search for a suitable portable table saw in the wider market. There is so much out there, and the quality is getting better every year!
Craftsman 10 table saw Craftsman Radial Arm saw 10Craftsman 16 direct drive scroll saw Chicago Electric 10 compound Slide Miter saw Wagner power painterBlack and Decker rotary saw and jig sawCraftsman corded drill. Craftsman 10 compound miter saw.Cleaning out my shed and am trying to downsize. $550 or best offer and its all yours. Ill help load but wont deliver. Great Christmas gift for that ha...
Hybrid table saws were produced by many manufacturers as they found there was a gap in the market for a table saw between the contractor saw and the cabinet saw. Contractors wanted something with the power and functionality of a cabinet saw but not necessarily the heavy weight of a cabinet saw. One good other point for the hybrid saws is price, cabinet saws are often very expensive because of the cast iron table tops etc. so a hybrid is a great saw if you’re looking for something slightly cheaper.
The differentiating factor is workshop realestate: it takes up nearly 2 square feet less space than its larger, more powerful counterpart, making it ideal for craftsmen with less workspace who don’t need the extra horsepower for cutting heavier hardwood materials. Best of all, it includes SawStops 5 millisecond safety system to protect craftsmen from accidents that can lead to serious and permanent traumatic injuries.

The CNS175-TGP36 SawStop is a 10 in. contractor table saw with a 45-degree bevel and a rip capacity of 36.5 in. Other than that, we think this is a pretty cool table saw for a few different reasons. First, the price is about half of all other SawStop table saws, and we know money talks (actually, it yells)! Second, like all other SawStop table saws, it has the integrated flesh sensing technology, so you can be sure you’re going to keep all your digits. Also, it has some pretty impressive power; it’s powered by 15 A motor so you’ll be able to tackle whatever you need. The last of our favorite features is its portability. For being a contractor saw, it’s pretty easy to pack up and move around.

There are a lot of great table saws on the market, but we’d have to say the best is the DEWALT DW745 Compact Jobsite Table Saw. This design enables you to be flexible with where you set up shop as well as extremely efficient thanks to the innovative technology that was incorporated into the design. Additionally, it has a 15 amp motor and a 20-inch rip capacity that makes it more than capable of taking on any challenge you throw at it.
The last type of table saw that we believe is worth mentioning on this page is something of a wildcard product. That’s because it’s not as widely known about as the other three table saw types that we’ve discussed, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it won’t be the perfect option to suit what you’re looking for. Hybrid table saws are a type of table saw designed to plug the pretty large gap in terms of power and price between the aforementioned contractor table saw and traditional cabinet table saws.

The Delta 10 in. Contractor Saw features an The Delta 10 in. Contractor Saw features an industry standard tool-free split guard design that allows a true rise-and fall riving knife by using a lever on the inside the throat plate. There is tool-less assembly of the riving knife and anti-kickback pawls. It has a large easy to access ... More + Product Details Close

New, unopened in boxTraditional guard and riving knife system allows unlimited capacity for cross and rip cutsLightweight and compact design makes it easy to carry anywhere and sets up in seconds to cut wood, tile, plastic, metal, and aluminum Adjustable Miter Gauge for 0to 60angled cuts, right or leftSafety switch with key prevents accidental startAccessories included 1-miter gauge, 1-rip fenc...

You’ll also want to be sure to check that the teeth of the blade are facing towards you since this is the direction that the wood is cut. Once you’ve made sure that the new blade is on properly you can put on the stabilizing parts and nut again. You’ll tighten the nut by putting the spanners on the same way you did before, however, this time you’ll push the spanner in your left hand away from you to tighten the nut instead of towards you.

Hybrid table saws were produced by many manufacturers as they found there was a gap in the market for a table saw between the contractor saw and the cabinet saw. Contractors wanted something with the power and functionality of a cabinet saw but not necessarily the heavy weight of a cabinet saw. One good other point for the hybrid saws is price, cabinet saws are often very expensive because of the cast iron table tops etc. so a hybrid is a great saw if you’re looking for something slightly cheaper.
One term you may hear when reading about table saw accuracy is blade runout. Runout is a term that describes whether or how much the outside edge of a saw blade wobbles while being held by the motor shaft. Sometimes, operators measure runout by using a saw blade. In that case, the very use of a saw blade presumes that the specific blade is perfect or nearly perfect in its flatness. Using a saw blade that has any warping will not give a clear indication of blade runout.
In order to measure the blade speed we used a digital laser non-contact tachometer. A piece of reflective tape was adhered to each saw blade just behind the carbide tooth, so that the tape would be just above the top of the wood cutting surface, allowing us to capture the blade speed during the cuts. We used a power-feeder to ensure that all the material was pushed through each saw at the same feed rate. In the photo above you can see our test set-up with the power feeder, a decibel meter to the left, the digital tachometer in the center, and the amp meter on the right. If you look really closely at the saw blade, the piece of reflective tape is to the left side of the blade near the power feeder.
The same fence system that comes on our number one choice, which lets you change the angle of the wood and make various cuts, also comes on this SawStop ICS31230-52 3HP 230V 60Hz Cabinet Saw with 52-Inch Industrial T-Glide Fence System. Designed use in any type of work space, it runs quietly to let you do your work without disrupting others, and it features the same safety system to shut down the saw when it touches any skin. Weighing more than 700 pounds, this is the type of cabinet saw that you can use in the same spot years.

A lot of the modern table saws nowadays will have a dust collection port where you can hook up a vacuum or extraction system to it. We would always recommend that you purchase a table saw with a dust port, always check the size of the port to make sure it fits with either your vacuum or your extraction system, or you can always modify something to make them fit.

It’s interesting to note that if pricing was taken out of this evaluation the ranking would have been: DEWALT in first, Makita in second, Hitachi, Skilsaw and SawStop tied for third, Bosch in fourth, Delta in fifth and Ridgid in sixth place. But at the end of the day price is certainly a factor. What we didn’t do in our evaluation is any long term testing to look at durability which ultimately could affect your purchase decision as well.
All the articles on this website are short and punchy without much filler, but because there is so much to learn about table saws it will still take you the better part of an afternoon to read through them all. For those who don’t have that kind of time, or those who already know a great deal about table saws, this is the section that will take you to the best table saw for your needs.